


No Four-Leafed Clover (Jacksepticeye x Reader)

by KnitHatRin



Category: Video Blogging RPF, jacksepticeye, youtube - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Irish, No Angst, Slow Burn, oc is not a fan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 07:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6320101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnitHatRin/pseuds/KnitHatRin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moving to Ireland was a dream come true! You had a brand new life away from your small mid-western town waiting to be discovered. A new house, a new job, and when you find a mysterious ID card belonging to someone with awesome green hair, maybe even a new friend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Man With Green Hair

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I realized there was a major lack of JSE fanfics and decided to add a bit to the collection. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

I leaned back, closing my eyes and listening to the colorful accents surrounding me on the plane. I was really doing it. In just a few hours I would be landing at the Dublin airport in Ireland. I had wanted to live there ever since I was a little girl and figured out that my dad’s side of the family was from Ireland, and today my dream was coming true. I tossed and turned for a bit, but finding no sleep in sight I reopened my eyes, trying to find something to do. I soon found myself people watching, which you liked to do, but didn’t because of how creepy it was. My eyes scanned the passengers around me, immediately drawn to someone with neon green hair. It made me smile. _They must be really bold_ , I thought to myself. I checked my watch. Still another hour and a half to go. Sighing with boredom, I leaned forward to see out the window, but the man next to me who had the window seat was sleeping in such a way that it was nearly impossible. From the looks of it though, it seemed to be raining which wasn’t that big of a let down to miss out on. I lean back again and think of the person with the green hair. It was a really cool shade and stood out from the crowd. I liked it, not to mention that green was my favorite color.

...

I woke up to the sound of thunder, but when I opened my eyes, I realized that the plane was landing. I sat up, and prepared my belongings. I only had one bag, the one I carried with me. I had tried to bring as little as possible from home for I was looking for a fresh new start full of adventure and mystery. I couldn’t wait! Finally, the plane landed and I stood up, my ears still popping and ringing. I waited for everyone else to leave so I didn’t get swept away in the crowd and began my descent down the aisle. I was nearly to the door when my foot slipped out from underneath me. I fell back onto my rear, which surprisingly didn’t hurt all that bad, and got back up. I looked down at what I had slipped on. It was a small plastic card. A stewardess walked in and asked me to please leave for the plane to be cleaned and I nodded. I picked the card up and shoved the strange plastic into my pocket, jogging out of the plane.

Walking down the long hallway towards the exit, I shoved my hands in my pockets and felt something sharp jab into my skin. Retracting my hand, I remembered the card. I pulled it out, and began to look it over. One side was blank, but the other side had a picture on it. It was an ID card. Sitting down on a bench, I read the text.

Name: Jacksepticeye

_Jacksepticeye? What kind of a name is that?_ I ask myself. The name sounded gross as all get out.

Country: Ireland

Ok, that I didn’t question.

Position: VIP

_Well, that’s impressive_ , I thought. I saw a bit more text at the very bottom, and squinted to see the words Insomnia 2k16 which meant absolutely nothing to me. Heck, it could have been another language entirely. I then turned my eyes at the top of the card to the picture. I gasped. It was the man with the green hair! I quickly shoved the card back into my pocket and started power walking around the airport. Searching for almost half an hour, and extremely exhausted and not finding the man, I decided to leave and try to catch a cab. To my utter dismay, it was raining, and I had no umbrella. Fortunately, I found a cab pretty quickly and headed towards the bus stop which would bring me to my house. From the pictures, it was a small cabin just outside a small town and was surrounded by forests and fields. Just what I had wanted.

The bus ride was cold and soggy, and I couldn’t wait to get to my home. Finally, a whole hour later, I opened the door to my cabin, pleasantly surprised. It had a moderate sized living room and dining room with a small bathroom and laundry room with a quaint, yet cute narrow staircase leading to a bedroom and the loft. It was beautiful to me. The only problem was that there was no furniture yet, except for what the last owners had left which included a woodburning stove in the corner of the living room, a few blankets and pillows in the loft, which you used for a temporary cot even if they smelled like mold, and a creaky wooden chair in the corner of the kitchen meant for a table. I had already set up my wifi as well, because I had a serious addiction to the internet. My mind began to wander back to the card as I surfed the internet while lying on my back, waiting for sleep to take over. I googled the words at the bottom and clicked on a link that said “Insomnia 2016 Jacksepticeye” because it had two pieces of information from the card. It was a video that was a whole hour long! I didn’t have enough time to watch the whole video but I decided to watch at least the beginning.

...

Rubbing my eyes, I got up, every second wishing I was back under the warm blankets of my temporary bed. I reached for my phone and remembered the video I had tried to watch. Emphasis on the word tried. All I remembered was a guy on a white couch calling out the name Jacksepticeye and the man with green hair walking on stage with some weird antennas that were green, blue, and black. I guessed I had fallen asleep after that. I had wanted to re look up the video, but it was already late in the morning and I had planned on going furniture shopping today before my work started the next day. I worked as a voice coach for little kids, and as much as I loved my job, I wanted to rest a bit before the craziness started. I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to take a walk as well, and jogged around my house, into the small town I now lived in. It was partly cloudy and chilly, but that couldn’t damper my good mood for that day.


	2. The Forrest Adventure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's another chapter! I'm pretty obsessed with learning about Ireland in my real life, and plan on living there someday lol . I'm a nerd.
> 
> Enjoy!

I ran through the checklist one last time in my head, and admiring the many styles and models of beds before me. It didn’t take long to figure out that I already had a color scheme in mind. I chose a very simple maple wood bed frame and a nice fluffy pastel green blanket, along with a few maroon pillows. Looking at my watch, I sighed. The day wasn’t even halfway done yet, and I was already bored out of my mind. Not to mention it felt like everyone in the store could tell that I was an american newbie to the country. I knew that was just my paranoia of being around groups of other people, but that didn’t stop me from breathing heavy as I walked through the store. I picked up a few more pieces of furniture and decided that I simply couldn’t stand it for another second with the feeling of eyes on me at all times. I cashed out, trying my hardest to be polite and paying in the infamous “euro,” proud that I did the math correctly and learning from the cashier that the furniture would be shipped to my house in the span of a few business days before walking into the dreary day and into freedom.

I breathed in the fresh air and relaxed a bit, away from the surprisingly stressful task laid before me. My boots made a soft click click every time I took a step on the damp street, and I toyed with tapping the beats to some of my favorite songs in the clicks. It at least gave my mind something to do other than zone off into space, which I still miraculously managed to do. The numbness that filled my mind with empty half thoughts was a welcome change from the focused headache of buying furniture. I smiled, it was like I could feel every fiber of my being when I was in this state of mind. I brought my arms straight out from my sides, which were soon damp from the drizzle around me. It was then that a nasty little rock decided to ruin my day. 

I tumbled forward, and shocked out of my haze, realized I was face first in the middle of the street. And it was wet, too. I quickly got up, brushing the dirt off my face and baggy sweater (which I recently learned was called a jumper here) and looked to see if anyone had seen my blunder. That was when I finally took a good look around and realized I was no longer in a town, but in the middle of the country, surrounded by trees on all sides, except the road I was on. Finding I still had a few hours, I decided that hey, I came this far, why turn back? And so, I continued, waiting to see something other than the thick foliage. 

A little while later, I found slight signs of civilization. A chicken coop, and then a fence. I pressed on, and my determination was rewarded by finding an open field. Just past it though, was a concrete pad with a log cabin and what seemed to be a few outbuildings. There was a horse in the field, but due to the buildings, I refrained from petting it. Definitely didn’t want people to think I was trying to steal or anything. I was glad to see no one was outside, but decided that it was time enough to go back, I was still lost after all. So I did the best thing I could think of, I turned around and walked the way I came, hoping I didn’t come across any forks in the road.

Walking home after the slight adventure, I decided to let myself daydream a bit, putting my chilled and slightly scraped hands from the fall into my still damp jumper. I loved baggy clothing, it helped my hide from people’s gazes and allowed for more warmth. This jumper though, it was my favorite because of a panda that was printed onto the fabric in the front. I loved pandas. It was my going away gift from my parents. I was very grateful for it, because the temperatures in Ireland so far were quite cooler than the midwest, although the humidity was about the same. My hands found the card from the plane, I took it out, looking over it once again. It was so odd. The name, the hair, the words at the bottom all making no sense. Although, I did admit his face was more than the green hair, from his arched eyebrows to his adorable nose, I had to say this Jacksepticeye was quite attractive. I shook my head, chuckling to myself at those silly thoughts and put the card back. I mean seriously, how creepy could I get? I imagined trying to explain what I was thinking to someone and continued walking. The whole situation was just creepy as all get out.

Finally, around dark I made it back to my beautiful and humble home. It was a little too cold for my liking inside, though it was quite a bit warmer than outside. I still turned on the stove to heat the dampness off of me from my walk. My boots made a heavy clunky sound on the floors that echoed throughout the empty rooms in major contrast to the calming sound of them on the road I had spent the afternoon walking. I hadn’t even eaten! But I really wasn’t hungry. Either way, I was absolutely pooped. I quickly made it upstairs to sleep, not caring of the time.

My nap was awakened by the incredibly rude sound of my phone ringing. Looking at the time, I gasped. It was midnight and my parents were calling me!

“Hello?” I asked groggily, hoping no one had died.

“Oh, yes, hello honey, it’s me, your mother! How are you doing?” I heard my mom say from the other end. I sighed. Nothing bad was happening. It was just the time difference. 

“Mom, it’s like midnight here,” I complained, selfishly hoping she would hang up so I could back to sleep. I was having the most wonderful dream about someone with green hair…

“Oh, I’m so sorry dear!” My mom apologized, startling me out of my thoughts, for which I was glad. 

“No, it’s fine. What did you want?” I asked, cringing at how awkward this conversation was. I looked longingly at my sheets and listened to my mom chattering about the news in the small town. I soon found my eyes drooping and her voice fading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story time!  
> So my school recently got some wifi restrictions for youtube, and yesterday I was trying to watch an EDUCATIONAL documentary on the history of Ireland, and the school had blocked it. Like, wtf!? It was an educational video! Talk about propaganda. lol, afterwards I looked up Irish insults to yell at them, even though I didn't say anything out loud. Anyways, see ya guys!
> 
> -EndarCreft out!


	3. The First Day of Class

I open my eyes, and pain radiates through me. My body is stiff as I try to get up, finding that I am not in my bed, but in the corner of my empty room. My phone is in my hand from my mom’s call last night, still and lifeless. Guess I won’t be using that today. Standing and looking around my empty room, I remember what day it is. My first day of work. I run to the nearest outlet and plug in my phone, anxiously awaiting the time. Now would definitely be the wrong time to be late to my first day of work. After two agonizingly long minutes, I finally found the time. I still had at least an hour. Sighing with relief, I left my phone to charge and went to a coffee shop I had found yesterday while walking. 

I walk through the glass door, the smell of coffee hitting me like a wave, waking me up and soothing my nerves. I order a cup of coffee, and wait near a few booths and tables. I look around and I see it. A flash of neon green. It’s the man with green hair!

Coffee long forgotten, I walk up to him, wondering how I’m going to explain this without seeming creepy. Before I can string words in my head, I am in front of his table. I gulp, butterflies racing in my stomach. 

“H-hi,” I say, my social awkwardness not helping the situation in the slightest. He looks up at me, and my breath catches in my throat. 

What am I supposed to say?

“I-I’m from the plane, I mean, we were on the same plane to Dublin a few days ago and I found this. I think it belongs to you. I mean, not many people have green hair, but still you never know…” I say, rambling and trying to fill the space. He smiles at me as I give him the card. 

“Thanks,” He replies. “I was looking for this,”You note that he has a slightly higher pitched voice, and an unsurprising Irish accent.

“Your welcome, and I like your hair by the way,” I say, trying hard to put the right words into my mouth. He stands and holds out his hand for a handshake.

“I’m Sean, what’s your name?” He asks. I hold out my hand, remembering at the last second to use my right hand. Being a lefty is hard sometimes. His hand is warm and soft, and even the small moment of contact sends heat to your face.

“I’m Brenda” I say. I look around awkwardly, retracting my hand from the handshake not knowing what to do next. My eye catches the clock and I gasp. 

“Oh my gosh! I have to go!” I exclaim, and several people look at me because of my outburst. I run out of the coffee shop and sprint down the street. So much for trying to be early. I slow down when I reach the school, trying to act civil. That doesn’t cover the fact that I’m late though. Its then that my stupid brain happens to remember that I also forgot my coffee. This day is just getting worse and worse. 

\-----

The children around me bounce up and down with enthusiasm. I chuckled to myself because somehow I didn’t expect the kids to have Irish accents. How silly of me.

I call out, hoping to get the little bursts of energy’s attention but they continue to shout. I look around and my eyes settle upon a piano in the corner of the room. Perfect. Heads pop up and mouths go silent as notes come sweetly from the piano and my voice rings out. Soon the piano is surrounded by kids listening to my song.

“Come stop your cryin’

It will be all right

Just take my hand

Hold it tight”

The kids look at me in awe and I blush a bit, apparently they are as new to American accents as I am to Irish ones. Continuing with the song, I think about my parents. I miss them so much already. This song is one that comforted me through my entire childhood. Seeing my vision blur a bit from tears, I look around trying not to cry. All around me are children in the third grade looking at me with utter shock and awe.

Now that I obviously have their attention I decide to stop playing, and silence fills the room. 

“Hi,” I say in my American accent that stands out so much. The children gasp and some of them start to whisper. Usually I am good with kids, but this was strange. One of the kids suddenly speak up.

“Um, Miss? Do you always talk like that?” I chuckle and nod.

“Yes, I do. My name is Miss Brenda and I am from America, what is your name?” I ask the little girl who spoke up. 

“Lily” She says, her beautiful green eyes staring up at me in wonder. I chuckle again.

“Alright, let’s get class started” I announce in my 'teacher' voice suddenly not feeling as nervous as before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song played in this chapter is "You'll be in my Heart" from Tarzan


	4. The Hot Coffee Incident

I sighed into the now empty room, relishing in the silence but also missing the hyper children. Class was so fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. The kids were no longer so taken by my accent, which was fine, but I still smiled at theirs. I loved how one word sounded breathy and beautiful, and the next was full, confident and strong. I hoped one day I would sound just like them. Walking out of the room, I toyed with some some words and saying them as others around me did. They sounded mixed, like they couldn’t tell if they were being spoken by someone Irish or American. Truth was, I didn’t know either.

The whispering silence was brought to a sharp close however when my shoulder bumped into someone else's. I turned around immediately, apologizing to the tall woman beside me who was looking me up and down, like a tiger to its prey.

“You’re new, aren’t ya?” She asked, smiling a bit and not looking as menacing as before. I nodded hurriedly, not wanting to cause a scene. She smiled even more, showing a few of her pearly whites. 

“Any new friends yet?” The woman asked. I wondered suddenly if she thought I was a student. I was very short, just barely reaching the mark above five feet and three inches and still had a very small frame that was accentuated by a few curves. 

“Just the kids as of now,” I reply, “They are a lot of fun to work with” The woman nods, surely knowing that I am not a child.

“I’m Anna Murphy, the maths instructor” Anna explains and I almost cringe at the word maths. Definitely a culture difference from MATH class. No s. But fighting the instinctive urge, I smile now knowing the name of my possible new friend. Anna looks at me still, like she is expecting something. I jump as I remember to introduce myself.

“Oh! I’m Brenda, Brenda McCormick” You say, rushed. She smiles even wider and nods again knowingly. My last name was Irish, and one of the reasons I decided to move.

“I’ll see ya later then, Ms. McCormick,” She says coolly, and walks away. I look after her, watching everything about her. Anna is confident, that was obvious, and wanted to see me again! I was so excited, maybe she could teach me the way of Ireland. I didn’t understand how right I was. 

Finally gathering my thoughts and my things, I left the building searching for the way to the coffee shop that I had abandoned this morning. It didn’t take as long this time, since I was relaxed and not sprinting towards the school. I walk in, once again refreshed smelling the fragrance of the coffee beans. I stride towards the counter and once again order my coffee. Sitting down and waiting for my order, I am suddenly shocked to see the man with the green hair! What was his name… Sean? I freeze as I see he has noticed me staring. My heart begins drumming in my ears. I jerk my arm, awkwardly waving and giving a nervous smile. He smiles back and I relax. At least he doesn’t act like I’m a stalker.

Turning the opposite way to make sure another moment like that one didn’t happen, I concentrate on listening for my order. It takes an agonizingly long time, but it is finally ready for me to retrieve and begin heading home. I eagerly grab the cup and pay, hardly waiting to take a big gulp of the sweet caffeine. Caffeine that is still piping hot and is making my eyes water.

I fight the urge to spit it out, causing a scene. But the pain in my mouth is too much to bear, and I think I could feel my tastebuds being burnt clean off my tongue. Walking out the door into the chilly day, I immediately spit out the hot liquid into the grass. And right in front of the glass door in which Sean was walking out of. I turn around at the exact right moment when he opens the door and makes me fall over. I was sure my entire face was redder than it had ever been. 

Sean looked at me, smiled… nervously? And offered his hand. 

“Sorry about that,” He says. I wince at his apology.

“No, no! If it was anyone’s fault it was mine!” I hurriedly blurt out. He smiles again and asks,

“So was the coffee really that bad? I mean I know it’s different from America, but it’s still coffee,” He says lightly. I find myself lightly chuckling at his somehow funny rhetorical question.

“No… it was just, uhh, hot” I say, not wanting to be trapped under his gentle gaze any longer. My blush was still hot on my cheeks and I swore I could see steam coming off of them. Yet through all of my awkwardness, he was still smiling, unjudging. 

“Well, I’ve got to get home, but I’ll see ya around,” Sean finally answers, and we both begin walking towards home. Except we both went the same way until I realized that I lived pretty close to him. Great.


	5. The Note

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dudes! This is my first time using talking text to write a story, isn't it awesome? Also I had to change the point of view to second person because I really didn't want to go back and change everything since I'm actually really used to doing writing in second person .

You wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and excited to go to work. Getting ready quickly, you realize you have plenty of time before you should actually be leaving, yet you still decide to go to the coffee shop. Before you know it you saw a flash of green and smile when you realize that it is Sean. 

"Hey!" he calls. He quickly replied your acknowledgment of his presence with another hey. 

"Where are you headed?" He asks. 

"I am going to the coffee shop as usual," he laughs.

"that's where I'm going too." you quickly begin to begin to walk in step as you both head to the same place for the second day in a row. It's fun and full of light conversation. Before you know it you are both at the coffee shop. you beg yourself not to make any more silly mistakes like yesterday. The time pass a lot quicker and it's a lot less awkward with Sean talking to you . You glance at the clock every once in a while making sure you were not late - definitely don't want to keep the kids waiting.

" So, what do you do for a living?" Sean asks, catching you off guard. You smile.

" I am a music teacher for the kids at the elementary school . How about you?" He looks away shyly and it makes you blush.

"I work for myself." You stay silent wondering what he could do for a living . You assume it has something to do with the identity card. Finishing your coffee you say goodbye to Sean and head off to school . You arrive well before the bell well before school starts and get everything ready for the day's lessons. You're just about to finish when Anna knocks on your door gently and smiles at you.

"having a good day?" she asks. You nod politely and walk over to her, excited to talk to your new friend.

" how are you enjoying Ireland?" She asks you look around nervously.

" well I don't know very much about the country to be honest," You say. She smiles mysteriously.

"how about I help you," she says. you quickly agree and she invites you to go to a party that she has going on next week.

" I would ask you to bring a date," she says

" but I really doubt that you've been here long enough to have one yet," she giggles and you Join her. Before long and it's time for school to start and Anna leaves with a wave. you ready your lessons and wait for the children. They come in one by one each of each bubbling with energy. it makes you chuckle lightly to yourself. You always loved kids and they for some reason had loved you. Not to mention your obsession with music. the way it made you feel always comforted you or helped you through situations. It wasn't a hard choice for you decide to become a music teacher . And being a teacher is something every country needed so you know that you'll probably have a job. The class begins and everything runs smoothly as usual. The kids in Ireland seem to be much more well mannered than in America. The kids that you grew up around were always very annoying and needy but not these children, they listen to you - especially because your accent . The class goes by pretty quickly which is a surprise to you. When you were still going to school you absolutely hated it. The days had seemed to drag on and on. that was not the case here.   
Anna says a quick farewell as you leave the building hoping to go to the coffee shop and spot Sean but he isn't there. Going to your house you see a piece of paper taped on your door . 

"Hey," it says.

"I know we just met and I probably seem like a stalker but I thought you might want to know my number so here it is – Sean " you smile. this stuff really wasn't something you were expecting from him, Especially since you had just met. Your eyes widened with the thought, how did he find out where you live? Rushing inside and grabbing the piece of paper on your way you go upstairs to your room and the immediately text the number.

"Hey" you text . It doesn't take long for him to answer back.

"hey hey". He says. You to begin conversing just as easily as you had this morning. It was a very interesting conversation, talking about your interests and such. You both really like the color green and coffee. You really like getting to know Sean and he seemed to have a really nice personality. Not to mention he was already teasing you. For some reason you don't even mention the fact that you don't know how he ended up finding out where you live. You kept on texting for a few more hours until it was almost time to go to bed. You then let them get off because he was used to the Ireland time while you in fact we're not. So instead you played music on your phone and began to sing. It was wonderful, you had recently gotten into some of the Irish music which you thought would help you learn about Ireland. It was a late night and you knew you would regret it in the morning, yet you still sang, enjoying the feeling of being one with the music. It wasn't long before you finally began to drift off to sleep, yet not before charging your phone to make sure that it would still be charged in the morning.


	6. The Knock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short little chapter, sorry!

I look in the mirror, adjusting my hair for the umpteenth time. Butterflies fly freely in my stomach, unable to be stopped. 

“My first party in Ireland,” I whisper to myself. I check my phone’s clock one last time, making sure I’m not too early. I’m not. I hear a knock and quickly jog to the door to answer. It’s Sean. 

“Oh! Hi! I didn’t expect to see you here!” I say, brightly smiling. The corners of his mouth turn up in return. 

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to be here either,” He says, lightly chuckling, “but I was headed for some coffee and wondered if you wanted to come?”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I’m actually about to head out with some friends.” Sean’s face falls a bit. I feel terrible.

“Wait, how about tomorrow? I don’t have work, do you?” I ask, hoping to make him feel better. He nods.

“Sure, see ya at 8!” He leaves as swiftly as he came and honking in the distance reminds me of my evening plans. 

“So, who was he?” Anne asks as soon as I enter the car. I smile.

“That’s Sean, he’s um, I guess you could say an acquaintance.”

“Ah, I see,” She replies with a wink, making me blush. Even if I did feel that way about him, he certainly would never feel that way about me. 

It takes fifteen minutes of awkward silence until we are at the party. Butterflies perform acrobatics in my stomach. It’s now or never.


	7. The Party

Walking into the party, I am immediately taken aback by the profuse smell of alcohol. I remember humbly that I am still a year to young to drink. Anne grabs my hand and drags me to the kitchen. I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of beer and wine that coveres every square inch of the counter tops and kitchen table. I don’t know where to look. Anne starts grabbing random drinks and passes a few to me while gulping down a can of Guinness. I gulp nervously. 

“Um, Anne?”  
“Yeah? What?”   
“I’m um. I’m still too young to drink,” I say shyly. Anne stops her drinking and almost chokes.  
“WHAT!?” I shrink back, afraid of her sudden outburst.   
“How the fuck are you a teacher, then?” She says, eyes wide in confusion.   
“I’m 19” Suddenly she starts to laugh. I am unnerved by her change out emotion. Now I am the one confused.  
“Hun, you can drink at age 18 here, anyone who doesn’t drink after that is just a pussy,” She say. I am frozen by her word choice. Yet as I watch her guzzle more drinks I put the cursing off on her being more than a little tipsy. I catch her gaze and it takes a few seconds for me to process why she is looking at me so expectantly. She really wants me to drink.

“Come on! Aren’t you part Irish or something?” She says, a slight slur to her pronunciation.   
“Anyone with a drop of Irish in their veins has a natural thirst for guinness. So DRINK child!” She says. I nod and slowly lift to the glass to my lips. I am nervous but I don’t want to risk one of my first friends over something this silly. Even if it is illegal in america, it isn’t in Ireland. I take a sip expecting the worst. But it isn’t like fire in my mouth like I somehow expected it to be. I take a few more and by that time the liquid in the glass disappears like a magic trick with me having no recollection of drinking anymore than the first half of the glass. Little did I know that I had drank well over three already. It is then I begin to feel dizzy. So, so dizzy. I fall to the ground and refuse to get up. Instead, I drunkenly decide to get some sleep.

\---------------  
I wake up to a blinding light and a raging stomach. I rush to my bathroom and, well, vomit. I look in the mirror, disgusted. I don’t know wether to be mad at Anne for pressuring me or myself for giving in so easily. Either way, the choice I made was wrong because although I didn’t remember much from last night, I did remember my arrangement with Sean. I quickly get dressed in a fluffy light blue jumper with the word “shine” on it, sneakers and some leggings. My hair gets hastily brushed and I am out the door. 

Sean smiles at me as I enter the cafe, his hair a beacon to finding him. My mood instantly lifts. I decided in my mind that Sean and coffee were the recipe for a good morning.

“Hey Brenda!” He says. I wave happily as I slide into the booth seat across from him. 

“Have you ordered?” I ask, for some reason finding myself nervous. 

“No, I wanted to eh… wait for you to order,” He says chuckling. I smile. He was just so sweet! I felt a little more relaxed knowing that we both were a bit nervous. He beckons for the front counter and we both get up to order. I order my usual and move to pay, but Sean puts his hand on my shoulder, stopping me. I look up to him as he speaks to the waiter.   
“Our orders are together,” He says and he glances at me before saying “I’ll pay,” A blush creeps its way onto my cheeks as I pray that this is simply an etiquette difference from America to Ireland. I watch Sean converse with the waiter as he decides.

“Hmm, tell me, what is your favorite coffee?” He asks the employee. He smiles and orders exactly what the waiter says. I smile to myself, the blush still leaving a tingle on my face. I realized with a drop of my stomach exactly what that meant. I was falling. FAST. As Sean turned with our coffees, I gulped down my feelings and enjoyed the rest of our time in the cafe.


	8. The Truth

Coffee was a beautiful thing on a sunday morning. And I had no idea if it was because of the chilly Irish weather, Sean’s amazing presence or my hangover. 

A kid is draged into the shop by a very tired looking mother. She politely asks the waiter for their order, but the waiter is busy. The child begins to scream. LOUD. I cover my ears and grimace at the pain that decides to ruin my conversation with Sean. 

“Brenda! Are you alright?” He asks, almost instantly turning from happy to concerned.   
“Yeah… how do you guys deal with hangovers?! These things suck!” Sean looks at me, clearly confused.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t really take you for the drinking type,” He says, scratching his neck nervously.  
“Oh, I’m not! I just thought that all the Irish are used to drinking all the time, I mean, that’s what I’ve been told.” I begin rambling, obviously nervous. I didn’t want Sean to take me for some kind of drunk! However, from Anne’s advice, she made it seem like that was what was popular here. I look to Sean to see how he is taking my bombardment of information.   
“You know, not all Irish drink. It may be a stereotype, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true. It’s sweet of you to try and fit in with the culture, but it’s not exactly required.” He says with a smile. I already feel relieved.   
“Oh thank gosh! I thought I was going to fail my Irish citizenship test if I didn’t! At least, that’s what it felt like,” I say, chuckling. Sean doesn’t look amused.   
“What do you mean?”   
“Oh, nothing,” I say, not thinking that the situation from last night was one I needed to share with him. Thankfully, he drops the subject quickly. It is then I realize with a frown that I am done with my coffee, as is he. Sean checks his watch, jumping with realization.

“I’m really sorry, but I’ve got to reco…..go home, I’m late!” He says, rushing out the door. Sitting alone in silence, I wonder what he meant by reco. But I simply clean our table of trash and head home to sleep away my hangover. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The morning finds me in much better shape, and with a text from Sean.

“Sorry I had to leave. Had fun, same time next week?” I smile, and quickly send an acceptance. I already can’t wait. 

My students are hyper and eager to learn as ever, for which I am grateful and also kind of worn from when Anne decides to stop by my room on our lunch breaks. I can’t tell if her giant smile is of good or bad intentions. I pray for the former. 

“Ah, lovely miss McCormick,” She says, confirming my fears. Her smile is not that of friendliness. “You had quite the weekend, didn’t you?”  
“I’m sorry?” I say timidly.  
“It’s just that I have the most interesting video on my phone, dear. One that I’m sure would break rule number ten of our teacher’s rule book. But don’t take my word for it. Go ahead and search up the rule yourself, dear.” I gulp as she leaves, and lunge for the book she gave me.

Rule 10  
Teachers will not drink on school grounds or post on social media about or with alcohol nor while intoxicated. If broken, the guilty party must resign by the end of that school week. 

I’m about to cry. I don’t remember much from last night, but I do definitely remember drinking enough to get intoxicated. I had no idea what to do. As I put down the book, a slip of paper falls onto my desk. It’s a note.

“I’ll pick you up Saturday. Be there. OR ELSE.” I quickly throw the note away, not wanting to go, but not seeing any other choice. I realize that Anne's true colors have been shown, right as I have entered her trap with no escape. The thought only gives me less hope.

The kids come back from recess, and I put on a brave face for them. They are too young to understand my troubles. And it is not for me to try to make them. My job is to teach them the right way. It is just too bad that I’m not doing a good job.

**Author's Note:**

> Your comments brighten my day!
> 
> Also, stay tuned for updates about my soon to come dramatic fanfic reading series on youtube!
> 
> -EndarCreft out!


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